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Books for Keeps 170 - the children's book magazine online

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Books for Keeps is packed with articles, interviews comment and, of course, reviews.

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BfK No. 170 - May 2008

Cover Story
This issue’s cover illustration is from Frank Cottrell Boyce’s Cosmic. Frank Cottrell Boyce is interviewed by George Hunt. Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for their help with this May cover.

BfK No. 170 Articles

Editorial – May 2008

News and comment from the Editor.
Libraries for Living: the KidsLibs Trust Kenya

Beverley Naidoo describes how recent events have affected community libraries.

Laureate Log - May 2008

Michael Rosen reports on his laureateship.
Reading in the Middle Years (9-11): Including all children

Kimberly Safford stresses the importance of inclusion.
Windows into Illustration: Neal Layton

Neal Layton explains his approach to Emily Brown and the THING.
The Branford Boase Award

Julia Eccleshare discusses its impact.
Authorgraph No.170: Frank Cottrell Boyce

Frank Cottrell Boyce interviewed by George Hunt.
I Wish I’d Written... The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Graham Marks chooses Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
Hal’s Reading Diary - May 2008

Roger Mills on how Hal's frustration can get in his way.
Letter to the Editor - May 2008

Theresa Heine writes about Ally Kennen's Berserk.
Classics in Short No.69: A Picture History of Britain

Brian Alderson on Clarke Hutton's A Picture History of Britain.

Editor's Choice

The Island
Armin Greder
(Allen & Unwin)
5

First published in Germany in 2002, this large format picture book is a powerful fable for our times. A man is washed up on a beach and his arrival provokes fear in the people that find him because ‘he wasn’t like them’. Grudgingly they allow him...

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New Talent

Evil Weasel
Hannah Shaw
(Jonathan Cape)
4

Small children love a thoroughly bad character and Evil Weasel is a rich and powerful show-off, a bully and a sneak who plays mean tricks on everyone. But when no one comes to his party, Weasel feels let down: after all it ‘isn’t much fun when...

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All Children's Book Reviews in BfK No. 170

  • Under 5s
  • Ages 5-8
  • Ages 8-10
  • Ages 10-14
  • Ages 14+
  • Books About Children's Books

Under 5s

  • Mammoth Pie
    Jeanne Willis
    5

  • The Little Rabbit Who Liked to Say MOO
    Jonathan Allen
    5

  • Molly and the Night Monster
    Chris Wormell
    4

  • Lucy Goosey
    Margaret Wild
    4

  • How Big Is the World?
    Britta Teckentrup
    4

  • A Hole in the Road
    Jakki Wood
    4

  • Fleabag
    Helen Stephens
    4

  • Evil Weasel
    Hannah Shaw
    4

  • The Three Wishes
    David Melling
    3

  • Ten on a Train
    John O'Leary
    3

Ages 5-8

  • Rumblewick Letters, The: My Unwilling Witch!
    Hiawyn Oram
    4

  • The Reluctant Dragon
    Kenneth Grahame
    4

  • A Mummy for Owen
    Marion Dane Bauer
    4

  • The Moon in Swampland
    4

  • Don't Be Horrid, Henry!
    Francesca Simon
    4

  • Catch that Crocodile!
    Anushka Ravishankar
    4

  • Big Ben
    Rachel Anderson
    4

  • Ape
    Martin Jenkins
    4

  • Anna Hibiscus
    Atinuke
    4

  • Elephant's Story
    Harriet Blackford
    3

  • Best Dog Bonnie
    Bel Mooney
    3

  • Boys Are Best!
    Manuela Olten
    2

  • Growing Green: A young person's guide to taking care of the planet
    Christina Goodings
    1

  • The Beeman
    Laurie Krebs
    1

Ages 8-10

  • Dinomummy
    Dr Phillip Lars Manning
    5

  • What's Eating You? Parasites - the Inside Story
    Nicola Davies
    4

  • Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister
    Liz Kessler
    4

  • The Oxford Book of Bible Stories
    Berlie Doherty
    4

  • The Island that Moved
    Meredith Hooper
    4

  • Mr Gum and the Power Crystals
    Andy Stanton
    3

  • The Dragon of Krakow and other Polish Stories; A Fistful of Pearls and other tales from Iraq
    Richard Monte
    3

  • The Cursed Sword
    Rosalind Kerven
    3

  • The Urban Turbans
    Dahlian Kirby
    2

  • The Other Book
    Philip Womack
    2

  • The Curious Boy's Book of Adventure
    Sam Martin
    2

Ages 10-14

  • The Master of the Fallen Chairs
    Henry Porter
    5

  • Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City
    Kirsten Miller
    5

  • The Island
    Armin Greder
    5

  • The Arrival
    Shaun Tan
    5

  • Airman
    Eoin Colfer
    5

  • Ways to Live Forever
    Sally Nicholls
    4

  • Space Encyclopedia
    Caroline Bingham
    4

  • The Prison Runner
    Deborah Ellis
    4

  • The Nostradamus Prophecy
    Theresa Breslin
    4

  • The Game
    Diana Wynne Jones
    4

  • Dragonfly
    Julia Golding
    4

  • Chicken Dance
    Jacques Couvillon
    4

  • The Book of a Thousand Days
    Shannon Hale
    4

  • Space Cowboy
    Justin Stanchfield
    3

  • Hox
    Annemarie Allan
    3

  • The Anglo-Saxons in Britain; The Celts in Britain
    Robert Hull
    3

  • The Case of the Limehouse Laundry
    Anthony Read
    3

  • The Fire of Ares
    Michael Ford
    2

  • Eye of the Moon
    Dianne Hofmeyr
    2

  • Tom Fletcher and the Angel of Death
    Sarah Matthias
    1

  • The Arab-Israeli Conflict
    Cath Senker
    1

Ages 14+

  • Extras
    Scott Westerfeld
    5

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
    Sherman Alexie
    5

  • Shakespeare's Apprentice
    Veronica Bennett
    4

  • Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams
    Rosie Rushton
    4

  • Newes from the Dead
    Mary Hooper
    4

  • Bog Child
    Siobhan Dowd
    4

  • Blade: Playing Dead
    Tim Bowler
    4

  • Black Mail
    Thomas Feibel
    4

  • The Kissing Club
    Julia Clarke
    3

  • Slave Harvest
    Andrew Butcher
    2

  • Eclipse
    Stephenie Meyer
    2

Books About Children's Books

  • The Ultimate First Book Guide
    5

  • A Child's History of England
    Charles Dickens
    3

BfK News

ALL STORIES, A NEW MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME FOR UNDERREPRESENTED CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITERS

A new mentorship scheme for underrepresented authors launches today, 30 March. All Stories offers fourteen mentorships delivered by expert children’s book editors.

All Stories logo

read more...
2021 SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

CKG Logo

The shortlists for the prestigious CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals are announced today, 18 March. The awards are the UK’s oldest for children and young people.

This year’s judges praised their shortlists for ‘offering hope and escapism during lockdown’ through explorations of freedom, the great outdoors and journeys through the natural world.

read more...
INAUGURAL LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE JHALAK CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT PRIZE

The Jhalak Prize has announced the longlist for the inaugural Jhalak Children’s & Young Adult Prize.

Jhalak Prize logo

read more...
ONJALI RAÚF BECOMES WRITER IN RESIDENCE FOR BOOKTRUST

Award-winning author and activist, Onjali Raúf takes up the post as the new Writer in Residence for BookTrust, today, International Women’s Day. She takes over from Smriti Halls.

Onjali Q Raúf

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LONGLISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 CILIP CARNEGIE AND KATE GREENAWAY MEDALS

The longlist for the 2021 CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals have been announced.

CKG Logo

read more...
LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR 2021 KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE

Klaus Flugge Prize logo

read more...
NOW OPEN: 2021 HENRIETTA BRANFORD WRITING COMPETITION

Finish a story started by Branford Boase Award winner Liz Hyder

The Henrietta Branford Writing Competition, the annual competition for young people which runs in conjunction with the Branford Boase Award, is now open.

read more...
TWO UK ENTRIES ON IBBY LIST OF OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Every two years, IBBY invites nominations for its international List of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. Nominations are made by IBBY national sections and the final list is selected from these by the IBBY Documentation Centre of Books for Young People with Disabilities, based in Toronto. Because of its international content, the list is unique in the children’s book world. It is a huge voluntary undertaking as every country is encouraged to submit up to twelve titles across the three categories.

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LONGLIST FOR THE 2021 BRANFORD BOASE AWARD

The longlist for the 2021 Branford Boase Award has been announced. Set up in memory of award-winning author Henrietta Branford and her editor Wendy Boase, one of the founders of Walker Books, the Branford Boase Award is given annually to the author of an outstanding debut novel for children.

read more...
NATASHA FARRANT WINS 2020 COSTA CHILDREN’S BOOK AWARD

Natasha Farrant

Writer and literary scout Natasha Farrant has won the 2020 Costa Children’s Book Award for Voyage of the Sparrowhawk, a book which the judges described as ‘pure heavenly escapism and a purely joyful read.’

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